SUNFLOWER INDUSTRY TO FLOURISH IN CENTRAL QUEENSLAND

Central Queensland's emerging sunflower seed industry could grow into a major earner for the State's grain growers and rail transport, Member for Gregory and Transport and Main Roads Minister Vaughan Johnson announced today.

Mr Johnson said that Queensland Rail would play a key role in establishing the new industry.

"Queensland Rail has successfully negotiated a contract to transport a total of 45,000 tonnes of sunflower seed from Central Queensland to oil giant Cargill's crushing facilities in Brisbane and Newcastle.

"This Cargill contract is a major coup for rail transport in Queensland and represents a number of firsts' for Queensland Rail and its client," said Mr Johnson.

Cargill is Australia's largest crusher of sunflower seeds for cooking oil and QR recently commenced railing 15,000 tonnes of mono-unsaturated sunflower seed to Cargill's Brisbane crushing plant at Carole Park.

Under the contract, Queensland Rail also recently transported 30,000 tonnes of the more traditional black sunflower seed from Central Queensland to the Ports of Mackay and Gladstone, where it was then shipped to Newcastle. The sunflower seed then became the first to be processed at Cargill's new Newcastle plant.

"Queensland Rail offered the customer a flexible transport option that suited their needs," Mr Johnson said.

"Its integrated package capitalises on the efficiency of long-haul rail and the effectiveness of road transport for the terminal delivery."

"This could be the start of a long-term relationship between QR and the Newcastle plant."

This is particularly so if the mono-unsaturated sunflower industry yields its potential, as the health-giving properties of oil from these high oleic sunflowers are considered greater than those of virgin olive oil.

To encourage growers to consider it as a crop, Cargill offered a premium of $50 to $80 a tonne.

"There is a perception that anything fried is bad for you, but this oil could change things forever in certain markets," Mr Johnson said.

"This is an exciting new venture, and if it succeeds we could expect growers to be planting more high oleic sunflowers.

"Queensland Rail is looking forward to playing an important part in the growth of this promising new industry."